Optical device packages containing an optical transmitter die

Abstract

An optical device package (18) includes an optical transmitter die (10) encapsulated within mold material (20). The mold material (20) allows light emitted from the optical transmitter (10) to pass through the package (18) and can have a lens pattern (22) molded therein to focus the light emitted from the optical transmitter. The mold material (20) can also have coupling patterns (32) formed therein to allow a supplemental lens assembly (28) to be coupled thereto so that supplemental lens patterns (30) formed in the supplemental lens assembly (28) can focus the light emitted from the optical transmitter (10). The optical device package (18) can also include an optical receiver (40) enclosed within the mold material (20) and mounted on a substrate (42) with the optical transmitter (10) to provide a complete optical product in one package (18).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An optical device comprising: an optical transmitter die operating in an operational temperature for emitting light having characteristic light waves, the optical transmitter die comprising an automatic power control circuitry coupled to a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), the circuitry controlling operational power of the VCSEL to prevent the operational power from exceeding a threshold power limit; and a package comprising mold material which encapsulates the optical transmitter die, wherein the mold material is clear to at least one of the characteristic wavelengths.   
     
     
       2. An optical device comprising: a substrate;   at least one optical receiver mounted on the substrate;   at least one optical transmitter mounted on the substrate for emitting light having characteristic wavelengths; and   a package comprising mold material mounted on the substrate, the mold material encapsulating the at least one optical receiver and the at least one optical transmitter, wherein the mold material is clear to at least one of the characteristic wavelengths of the at least one optical device and the mold material has a first integral lens pattern formed therein, the first integral lens pattern being formed in the mold material to focus light emitted from the at least one optical transmitter and passing through the mold material.   
     
     
       3. The optical device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of leads coupled to the optical transmitter die wherein one of the plurality of leads is electrically and physically coupled to the optical transmitter die by a wire. 
     
     
       4. The optical device of claim 3 wherein the wire has a length less than 2.5 millimeters (mm) and has a diameter greater than 0.025 mm. 
     
     
       5. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the package further comprises a material coating having light blocking properties and physically coupled to the mold material for selectively blocking certain wavelengths. 
     
     
       6. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the package further comprises a material coating physically coupled to the mold material and formed to act as a lens. 
     
     
       7. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the mold material has an integral lens pattern formed therein, the integral lens pattern being formed in the mold material to focus light emitted from the optical transmitter die and passing through the mold material. 
     
     
       8. The optical device of claim 7 wherein the package is formed to align the integral lens pattern to a supplemental lens system when physically coupled thereto. 
     
     
       9. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the mold material has a second integral lens pattern formed therein, the second integral lens pattern being formed in the mold material to focus light passing through the mold material and received by the at least one optical receiver. 
     
     
       10. The optical device of claim 2 further comprising a supplemental lens assembly, wherein the mold material is formed to physically couple the package to the supplemental lens assembly and wherein the supplemental lens assembly comprises a first supplemental lens pattern, the first supplemental lens pattern being formed and located within the supplemental lens assembly to focus light emitted from the at least one optical transmitter which passes through the first integral lens pattern and through the supplemental lens assembly. 
     
     
       11. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the mold material has a second integral lens pattern formed therein, the second integral lens pattern being formed in the mold material to focus light passing through the mold material and received by the at least one optical receiver. 
     
     
       12. The optical device of claim 11 further comprising a supplemental lens assembly, wherein the mold material is formed to physically couple the package to the supplemental lens assembly and wherein the supplemental lens assembly comprises a second supplemental lens pattern, the second supplemental lens pattern being formed and located within the supplemental lens assembly to focus light passing through the supplemental lens assembly and the second integral lens pattern and received by the at least one optical receiver. 
     
     
       13. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the mold material is formed to physically couple the package to a supplemental lens system. 
     
     
       14. The optical device of claim 2 comprising a supplemental lens assembly wherein the supplemental lens assembly comprises a first supplemental lens pattern, the first supplemental lens pattern being formed and located within the supplemental lens assembly to focus light emitted from the at least one optical transmitter and passing through the supplemental lens assembly. 
     
     
       15. The optical device of claim 14 wherein the supplemental lens assembly comprises a second supplemental lens pattern, the second supplemental lens pattern being formed and located within the supplemental lens assembly to focus light passing through the supplemental lens assembly and received by the at least one optical receiver. 
     
     
       16. The optical device of claim 14 wherein the supplemental lens assembly comprises a second supplemental lens pattern, the second supplemental lens pattern being formed and located within the supplemental lens assembly to focus light passing through the supplemental lens assembly and received by the at least one optical receiver. 
     
     
       17. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the at least one optical transmitter comprises at least one vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) die.